Town of Ithaca

I have been a resident of Ithaca since 1975, returning to Ithaca to work at Tompkins County hospital and Cornell University in the early 80’s. I entered private practice in 1983 and have served Ithaca and the surrounding communities as a physical therapist for over 40 years.

Having served the community as a physical therapist, I am now seeking other ways to be of service. Though I am a political neophyte, I feel that my community connections, my experience as a business owner and health care provider, and my leadership philosophy of bipartisan, collective, problem solving will allow me to apply these  attributes to the issues facing the Town of Ithaca.

Town of Ithaca issues are not unlike those facing our society as a whole. The absence of affordable housing, the difficulties younger generations face in gaining meaningful and sustainable employment, and the breakdown of our sense of community based on divisive political rhetoric are all destructive to the health and viability of our community. I will endeavor to seek solutions to these problems at the local level and work hard to identify and minimize duplication of services across our municipalities to provide the services essential to our town in the most efficient way possible.

I’m running for re-election to the Ithaca Town Board because I want to contribute to the continuing success of the Town of Ithaca, and I want to support the work of local government to improve the lives of all people.

I’ve lived in the Town of Ithaca for 23 years, and I’m married to Cindy Kaufman. Cindy and I have three daughters and stepdaughters between us, all in their 20’s, who attended school in Ithaca from pre-k through high school.

I work as an engineer for Taitem Engineering, where I’ve been employed for over 20 years. Our company provides engineering and analysis services for building construction and building energy use. In my job I have to meet client requirements, analyze complex data, work on project teams, and manage budgets, which are all skills that I bring as a candidate for Town Board.

I am currently serving on the following Committees:

Town Committees

Codes and Ordinances Committee, Chair

Public Works Committee

Intermunicipal Committees

Community Housing Development Fund

Sewer Joint Committee of the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility

On broader issues, I would bring my support for causes such as housing, equality, sustainability, and social justice. I would like to translate this passion and skill set to the larger community. I have a deep appreciation for our Town; I love living here, and I’d like to do my part to see it working well.

Website: https://www.ithacademocrats.org/home

Diana Stuart Sinton is a geographer by avocation and academic training. She has spent her career working with geospatial technologies as an educator, project manager, director, writer, and editor. Since 2013 she has worked for a non-profit organization, the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, first as its Executive Director and now as a Senior Research Fellow. She has also taught courses in geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis in her role as an adjunct associate professor at Cornell. Her experiences have contributed to particular local interests in land use, trails and recreation, accessible transportation, and spatial data infrastructure.

Thanks to the opportunities that an academic professional career provides, Diana has lived and worked in five different states (Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, California, and New York) as well as Argentina, twice. She and her husband, Christopher Sinton, have been happily settled in Ithaca since their arrival in 2011. Their three now-adult children attended Ithaca High School. Diana is a Hospicare volunteer and also spends time hiking, trail running, biking, and quilting. 

Website: https://www.ithacademocrats.org/home